Picture A Tree

Paul Graviano has molded his life and business around the art and philosophy of bonsai. Evolving a hobby and vast personal collection into a 40-year career growing and shaping miniature trees, Graviano spent time working with legendary bonsai expert Frank Okamura while volunteering at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden before founding the Bonsai of Brooklyn in 1976 – one of the oldest businesses in the U.S. dedicated to the Japanese bonsai tradition. Now in his eighties, Graviano reflects on the landscape of memory, and a life deeply influenced by plants.